Antique Car Question

[mujaman]

i have a friend who is looking to possibly buy a 1950 dodge coronet with a flathead 6. neither of us really know much about them (or any cars that old for that matter), but its in good shape overall, is a pretty cool old car, and runs great. the guy is asking $3000 for it... which i think is a little steep (it does have some rust on the passenger floor side and a few other spots... no body rust though... and just some overall wear everywhere). the problem is, we are both college students and don't know how reliable something like this would be. i have my jeep to haul us around ofcourse (and we all know nothing will ever go wrong with it)... but would this vehicle be a worthwhile investment as a fun project car to work on and just mess around with if we could get it for a better price?

 

[Sacredgroove]

not sure about a car of that age...i have a 79 z28 that was in pristine condition(got hit) and i would imagine far easier to get parts for,and it still spent alot of time and money on repairs. now, alot of it was simple things that i could have done without fixing if necessary like power window problems,a/c,etc...but still alot of maintenance. when i was college age,no way i could of afforded to keep it right. a car 53 years old might be quite a task. i wouldnt say dont get it,just dont rely on being able to keep it on the road unless you have a little money to spend on it
its definitely worth the trouble to get the stares on the road though 8)

 

[OutOfStep]

It sounds like a fun project car. Parts are going to be harder to find being a mopar of that age, not really the big things like engine parts, but things like steering wheel, tail light lenses, knobs, buttons, and stuff like that. The price is reasonable assuming that it runs ok and most everything works and is present. I wouldn't bank on making it a daily driver, however, if you're looking for a good project car that could be made into a good car when you graduate and have more time and money then it sounds like a good possibility. Could be a really nice sleeper

 

[Snitty]

my dad has a 58 dodge dump truck with a flathead 6... that thing runs like a hungry monster... we rebuilt the motor a few years ago with parts from the hardware store... the windshield was broke last year and we though we would never find a replacement for it... but, on the contrary, the first place we called just happened to have a number of them laying around... but like said... steering wheels, knobs, buttons and such are a little more rare

 

[jps4jeep]

I have a 41 plymouth that had the same flat head 6 your dodge has. (The car currently has a 400 SB) They can be reliable daily drivers but you need to be able to do all the maintance youself in order for it to be worth the money. Points plugs and the condenser will need to be changed annually, more if you drive a lot. I would also suggest taking the gas tank out and replace it, also take the fuel pump out and replace with a low volumn 6 volt electric unit with a regulator. Oil, coolant, gear oil where needed, and grease gun for all the zerks. I used my plymouth for three years on just those mods. then I took it off the road and been hot rodding it ever since.

Where the 50 dodges 3-on-the-tree?

 

[mujaman]

thanks for the input everybody... it's always good to hear some opinions and advice from guys that know a heck of a lot more than i do. the car would actually be for my roommate (i already have the best vehicle in the world... my jeep!)... but i think he has somewhat decided that he needs to look around more and make a choice based on reliability and such instead of just "appeal."